Has anyone ever seen a spay done like this??

I didn't watch the video (it takes too long to load on my phone), so I can't comment on the cat struggling or anything. But I have heard of this technique. It's called "left lateral flank spay", and evidently it's very common in Europe and is the usual way cat spays are done there. I guess it's faster (all the relevant organs are right there, no other organs to sort through or fat pad to cut through) and therefore costs less. Some groups are trying to make it the standard for TNR, one reason being that you could keep an eye on the incision without handling the cat. If it is better, I hope it catches on. Although American vets do seem a bit resistant to changes.

I also had never seen a spay performed like that before until I moved to Scotland. Apparently it is a very popular technique here and over 90% of vets tend to perform their spays that way in the UK. I think it all comes down to what technique a vet is taught in school and what they are comfortable with.



Historically, spays were performed on the flank to ensure better wound healing and thus reduced risk of wound breakdown, but with the advent of new suture materials more appropriate for the linea alba, it kind of negates this risk. Personally if I had a choice, I would opt for the midline approach because you get a better visualization of all the structures within the abdomen and decrease the risk of leaving ovarian remnants behind, or ligating the ureter instead. Midline incisions are also thought to be less painful because you are going through the midline (linea alba) which has less pain receptors as opposed to going through 3 layers of muscle via the flank approach. The pros to doing a flank spay include being able to monitor the wound from afar in fractious cats and perhaps decreased tension on the wound site/risk of evisceration, since there is not as much pressure on the area (i.e. all the abdominal contents aren’t pressing down on the wound).


All in all, it really just comes down to what someone is comfortable doing. Now, clipping up the cat's front leg with scissors though is just weird! I have definitely never see that before and it made me squirm to watch it!

I can't watch the video. But have never heard of a spay being done that way either.

Didn't watch the video but flank speys are pretty common over here (Australia)

It's usually a flank spay here, but I had one cat spayed down the midline by an older vet. It's not scientific - but of my cats the ones who had the flank spay recovered quicker and seemed to be in less pain. They also had smaller incisions - could be down to the vet though.

Being from the UK, yes that's how we do it here.

 

And as Willowy pointed out i'm pleased we do because that way you can keep a close eye on it.  When Sophie was spayed l noticed straight away that she pulled a stich out

That is how Flash was spayed, I think its the best way to be done because you can see how the wound is healing easily